Recovering from surgery can be challenging. There has to be a balance of getting your body moving without overexertion. Make your recovery shorter by following these post-surgery tips.
Stay Motivated
First things first. It’s incredibly important that you stay motivated while you’re recovering. The pain and exhaustion you may feel after surgery can cause you to be less motivated to recover the right way. You can do this by going to your physical therapy appointments and finding a PT that cares about you and takes time to explain each phase of the recovery process. Celebrate each step of progress you make.
Movement
Although it may not sound fun, it’s incredibly important to keep moving. However, you should not push yourself to move to the point where there is pain. It doesn’t need to be movement of the direct area where you had the operation. Your PT will help guide you with those movements. However, you can and should move the rest of your body. For example, for the upper extremities, you can go on walks. For surgery that occurred on the lower extremities, you can still do arm exercises. Getting your blood flowing and your heart pumping will help your body carry healing nutrients to the areas in need.
Ask for Help
Pushing yourself too far will only set you further back in recovery. Ask for and accept help. You may need meal assistance or help with daily tasks until you are feeling better- and that’s okay!
Follow the Recovery Diet
Your body needs vital nutrients as it recovers. Help your body heal itself by providing key foods that aid in recoveries like lean protein, fresh citrus, dairy and leafy greens. This is your body’s reward for all of the hard work it has been doing.
Make Sleep a Priority
Your entire body repairs itself as you sleep. Be sure you are getting at least 8 hours at night.
Stick to Your Appointments
It’s difficult to heal properly if you aren’t consulting the experts on healing. Make sure to meet with your surgeon to discuss medications and wound care. Consistently make it to each physical therapy appointment to see faster recovery time.
If you started off the new year in recovery from a procedure, we hope you find these tips useful and have a great recovery! Don’t forget to set up your appointment with a Core PT expert to help speed up your recovery today!